IN THE COURT OF COMMON PLEAS OF ALLEGHENY COUNTY, PENNSYLVANIA
CIVIL DIVISION
IN RE: | ADMINISTRATIVE DOCKET
|
ASBESTOS CASES | NO. 202 OF 2005
CASE MANAGEMENT ORDER FOR ASBESTOS CASES PENDING
THREE YEARS OR MORE THAT HAVE NOT BEEN PLACED AT ISSUE
1. Beginning May 2005, the Court will periodically issue lists of cases that will be
governed by this Case Management Order. Each list will set forth the date by which a
Plaintiff Information Sheet must be filed with the Prothonotary for cases appearing on
this list. (The date will be at least sixty (60) days after the issuance of the list.)
2. The Plaintiff Information Sheet that must be submitted is attached to this Case
Management Order as Attachment 1. However, the copy filed with the Prothonotary will
not include either plaintiffs Social Security Number or Railroad 1D Number (if
applicable). Copies of the Plaintiff Information Sheet will be furnished to the Clerk of the
Asbestos Docket and Liaison Defense Counsel. These copies shall include plaintiff's
Social Security Number and Railroad 1D Number, if applicable.At the time of submission of the Plaintiff Information Sheet, counsel for any
party may furnish a one-page Motion and Court Order to the Clerk of the Asbestos
Docket to assist in obtaining medical and hospital records.
Plaintiff shall serve the Plaintiff Information Sheet upon all other parties (i)
pursuant to Pa.R.C.P. No. 440, (ji) through posting on the extranet site maintained by
plaintiffs’ counsel, or (ii) by e-mail to each attorney appearing on the asbestos counsel
e-mail list maintained by the Clerk of the Asbestos Docket.
3. If a plaintiff fails to timely file the Plaintiff Information Sheet with the
Prothonotary, any defendant, on behaff of all defendants, may file with the Prothonotary
(with a copy furnished to the Clerk of the Asbestos Docket) a Praecipe to Dismiss the
case. A Notice of Intent to file the Praecipe to Dismiss must be served upon plaintiff's
counsel at least ten (10) days prior to the filing of the Praecipe to Dismiss. Upon receipt
of the Praecipe, the Prothonotary shall enter a judgment dismissing the case as to all
defendants
On its own motion, the Court may dismiss the case provided that it gave at
least ten (10) days notice of its intent to do so after plaintiff's failure to file the Plaintiff
Information Sheet.
A case shall not be dismissed if the Plaintiff Information Sheet is filed with the
Prothonotary prior to the dismissal of the case for failure to file a Plaintiff Information
Sheet.
4. Any defendant not named as a party in the Plaintiff Information Sheet may
immediately file with the Prothonotary (with a copy furnished to the Clerk of the
Asbestos Docket) a Praecipe to Dismiss the case as to that defendant. Upon receipt ofthe Praecipe, the Prothonotary shall enter a judgment dismissing the case as to the
defendant who filed the Praecipe. If the omission was an oversight by plaintiff's
counsel, counsel must provide evidence that the defendant is properly in the case within
ten (10) days.
5. A one-hundred ninety (190) day discovery period will commence from the
date by which the Plaintiff Information Sheet was required to be filed
6. Plaintiffs and defendants shall file their list of fact witnesses within one-
hundred thirty (130) days from the date by which the Plaintiff Information Sheet was
required to be filed. New fact witnesses may be added to the list only by leave of court
upon a showing of compelling circumstances. Persons who are not on the list of fact
witnesses may not testify at trial unless compelling circumstances are shown
7. Defendants must file with the Prothonotary their Motions for Summary
Judgment within two hundred four (204) days from the date by which the Plaintiff
Information Sheet was required to be filed. Defendants shall furnish copies of the
motions to the Clerk of the Asbestos Docket. Any Summary Judgment Motion that is
not timely filed will not be considered without a court order entered upon a showing of
compelling circumstances.
8. Plaintiffs must file with the Prothonotary their Responses to Motions for
Summary Judgment within two hundred forty-six (246) days from the date by which the
Plaintiff Information Sheet was required to be filed. Plaintiffs shall furnish copies of the
responses to the Clerk of the Asbestos Docket. The Court will not consider evidence
that is not part of the record, which includes the response, in the absence of compelling
circumstances.